Baguio Water District readies for El Niño

BAGUIO CITY — Baguio Water District (BWD) fast-tracks its augmentation programs to ensure continuous water supply ahead of the expected impact of the drought and dry spell that is seen to heighten by April 2024.

According to BWD General Manager Salvador Royeca, the district is currently streamlining its ongoing development projects and expressed confidence that they can complete the ongoing water supply development and expansion projects "in preparation for the full effects of the El Niño phenomenon." This is in response to the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for agencies to carry out measures to cushion the effects of the long dry spell.

Royeca said they already called upon the concerned Technical Divisions of the water utility to revisit and submit their contingency plans for El Niño and issued a marching order to expedite all various well-drilling and pipelaying projects to counter the effects of El Niño. "Additionally, comprehensive monitoring of BWD's groundwater and open water sources has already been performed to ensure equitable water distribution starting this Yuletide season up to next year's dry season when visitors and tourists flock to this side of the country," he stated.

Royeca said that completing these projects will help mitigate the effects of El Niño. He explained that implementing contingency procedures for BWD's summer operations is done annually. He said they just fine-tune everything so that it will be adaptive to external pressures such as El Niño.

The district said its ongoing water resource exploration projects include the drilling projects along Montinola Subdivision (Kisad Road), Ramsey in Bakakeng Central, South Drive 2, Richwood (Guisad Road), and Zig-Zag, Kennon Road. Additionally, "pipelaying and expansion activities programmed to augment the water supply in identified water-challenged areas, especially during the driest months, include the Marcos Highway-Suello-Asin pipeline expansion, upsizing of Crystal Cave mainline, Pias-Camp 7 mainline extension, and the recently completed developments namely Bengao Road-Marcos Highway Tank upsizing of booster line and the Balacbac Road mainline upsizing project," the district stated.